Plushenko is a skater I love for his charisma! When he is on the ice you cannot not to watch him. But the program doesn't work for me execept for the step seq which I thought was great! He really need to work on his choreography! But maybe his injuries didn't help the development of the program but I'm not too positive on that. Let's see the long!

I've been thinking about Evgeni's plans for the rest of the season, and I know he's very excited about that brand new Team Competition that will be held at Worlds, or after Worlds? Btw, the first time they will test it out will be at that Junior Olympics next month (anxious to see how it goes). Anyhow, what's the criteria to be selected? Can Evgeni only skate Nationals and still get on it somehow? Because right now I don't think he's ready for Euros, and especially Worlds. Jmho. Though I concede the LP is yet to be skated.

Plushenko is a skater I love for his charisma! When he is on the ice you cannot not to watch him. But the program doesn't work for me execept for the step seq which I thought was great! He really need to work on his choreography! But maybe his injuries didn't help the development of the program but I'm not too positive on that. Let's see the long!

Btw: I think I've never seen him so happy in the kiss 'n cry!

I agree. There are all and all 3 sp from his carreer that I really liked. I like his Lp better. The program is not outside his comfort zone once again, but I dont care much, I liked the axel that looked like he never stopped competing and a new spin. And yes from the official I saw screen caps he does look happy.

Bush thrid, Urmanov's student! In any order I d love this podium! Mishin and Urmanov!

wow.....Plushy!!! Thanks for the comments and vidoes everyone! I can't believe it - yes, not perfect, no, not the best sp ever...but that guy can skate and has charisma in spades! Unreal. So glad to seem him compete.

I've been thinking about Evgeni's plans for the rest of the season, and I know he's very excited about that brand new Team Competition that will be held at Worlds, or after Worlds? Btw, the first time they will test it out will be at that Junior Olympics next month (anxious to see how it goes). Anyhow, what's the criteria to be selected? Can Evgeni only skate Nationals and still get on it somehow? Because right now I don't think he's ready for Euros, and especially Worlds. Jmho. Though I concede the LP is yet to be skated.

The World Team Trophy is to be held a few weeks after worlds (will be in Japan, late April, I forget the exact dates). It is not a new event. First time was in 2009 (2010 was not held, probably due to Olys, then 2011 was canceled/postponed until 2012 due to the earthquake. teams from best 6 countries over the season compete.

Each sends 2 mens, 2 ladies, 1 pair, 1 dance team. Skaters don't have to have competed at Worlds to participate (since teams get invited on their overall strength, some countries invited only had 1 worlds spot in a singles discipline but get to send 2 to the WTT). It seems that once a country is invited, its skating federation can choose whichever skaters it wants to participate, but skaters who place top-10 at worlds are pretty much bound to go if their country is invited...(but I doubt Russia's man #2 at worlds will place high enough for that to matter, ISU would probably even prefer Plushenko to go...anyway, Russia has a long history of switching out their Worlds teams if their national champ/2nd place bombs at Euros...)

The team event t at the Youth Olympics is totally different. It's a mixed-country event and teams are drawn from placements in the individual results ...so you could have a Russian, Canadian, Chinese skaters all on one "Team"....mixed-teams may add to the "cultural educational" value of the youth Olympics...but I can't imagine that being the final format at Sochi..who knows tho

After your post on "Plushenko's Return" thread the other day I looked you up here on GS. Hope you don't mind, just wanted to find out more about you via your posts. And what I found out is your unconditional love & support of The Great Evgeni since day one. And like me I note you stopped posting there for a few years as well, and only posted when you felt strongly about something. I respect your posts. Short, concise, wise. As the old saying goes ~ "it's not the quantity, but rather the quality". So true.

I liked Zhenya's program better the *second* time around. It's an acquired taste. Same exact thing happened to me with Mao Asada's "Bells of Moscow" program. First time viewing it I didn't like it, but second time around I did, and by the time of the Olympics I absolutely LOVED it!

That's why I like posting live, my first visceral honest gut reaction, no bs, it's when I'm most honest with myself. Like a child, pure honesty, no PC. But then when one grows up one learns to curb one's natural instincts.